The “Beast” of Revelation 13

What is this beast power, against which the terrible threatening is pronounced? It is brought to view in the preceding chapter, Revelation 13. The prophet beheld a beast having seven heads and ten horns, rise out of the sea. His body was like that of a leopard, his feet like those of a bear, and his mouth like that of a lion, and “the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” He beheld one of his heads wounded to death, but that wound was finally healed. “All the world wondered after the beast,” and “there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” He had power to make war with the saints and overcome them, and “power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” This beast was finally led into captivity.ChSa 179.2

The explanation of this symbol is very simple. As the great red dragon of the twelfth chapter, with seven heads and ten horns, symbolizes the Roman power in its pagan form, this symbol of a beast made up of parts of a lion, a bear, and a leopard, can only refer to that power which contained within itself the three kingdoms symbolized by these beasts, viz., Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Grecia. Daniel 7. Rome conquered the territory and subjects of these divisions, and absorbed them, so to speak, into itself. Hence its presentation in the symbol as a composite power. Its seven heads represented the seven different forms of government in which Rome presented itself to the world; viz., kingly, consular, triumvirate, decemvirate, dictatorial, imperial, and papal. The ten horns were the ten kingdoms of the Western empire, into which Rome was divided. It held supremacy, as we have seen, 1260 prophetic days, or years, i.e., 42 months, reckoning each month, as is usual, at thirty days. Rome ruled by the popes received its power, seat (the city of Rome), and great authority from the preceding symbolic form, the dragon, when Justinian, the imperial ruler located in Constantinople, proclaimed the pope head over all the churches, AD. 538.ChSa 179.3

This beast received a “deadly wound” in 1798, just 42 months or 1260 days (prophetic) afterward, when the soldiers of the French Republic removed the head, the pope, and carried him into exile, where he died. His government was then destroyed by the creation of a republic in its stead. This “deadly wound was healed” when the pope was restored by the allies in 1814.ChSa 180.1

The pope has spoken blasphemous words against God in the titles he ascribes to himself; he has “overcome” many millions of the saints of God in crusades, by the Inquisition, the stake, the dungeon. There is no possible way of escaping the conclusion that the leopard beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn of Daniel 7 are identical. Both predictions are wonderfully fulfilled in the papal power.ChSa 180.2